Bless our blessed trees
"I had trouble sleeping last night because of what I saw…All of the trees are girdled, and obviously, those who did this wanted to kill the trees…Sorry to say, but all the mahogany trees are dead not because they are old, but because they are girdled," UP Professor and tree pathologist Dr. Ernesto Militante was quoted in a news report by Jojo Rinzona. Dr. Militante, who also came to Cebu, was in Pangasinan to inspect the trees affected by another road widening project along the Manila North Road.
Who would want to girdle and kill 770 trees and why? Like in the case of Cebu's south, cannot road widening projects be done without killing trees?
For a nation that prides itself as religious, those who want to dispose of trees seem to have forgotten that trees are also God's creations.
Psalm 24:1 reminds us: "The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord, the earth and all who live in it are his." Psalm 104:1-17carries another reminder: "The lord's own trees, which he planted-there the birds build their nests and the storks nest in the fir trees."
Lack of information as well as disinformation can also be cited as reasons for the utter neglect of trees, especially where road widening projects have been decided.
What and how much do we really know about trees and about how to take care and manage these?
Based on what they have shown the public, even many of those in DENR who consider themselves foresters and just as knowledgeable about trees like Dr. Roger de Guzman and Dr. Ernesto Militante clearly need to go back for training about trees and tree management.
The public also has been so misinformed about the harm, rather than the usefulness and positive value of trees -how they supply people their much-needed air supply, how they save the earth from global warming, not to mention the fruits and medicine that they continue to share, and more.
There are so many benefits from God's created trees that He provided for all. Killing trees that provide life to people is tantamount to murder and all those who harm and kill the beneficial trees should be duly punished.
Gratefully, the local government of Pangasinan is considering filing charges against those who girdled and who deliberately wanted to kill the tress affected by the road-widening project there. Gratefully too, despite the girdling of the trees, Dr. Militante was quoted as saying there are signs of self-healing and life in the trees and with proper methods of pruning and tree surgery, the trees may be revived.
What about Cebu? Any investigation and prosecution to be done versus those who cut the trees and those who tried to kill the trees? Has any positive action been done to follow-up the advice of Dr. Militante to keep the trees alive and to keep the trees from harming people?
If only trees received proper care and management from all, then no tree would have needlessly fallen on anyone nor would anyone have died because of trees.
As Bryant McGill wrote "the trees which are pruned,watered, and nurtured by caring hands bear the greatest fruits; it is the same with people." ???
Trees take care of people during good days and especially during disasters. Best to remember that God intended His creations to benefit all. Best to learn as much as we can about trees and about how to manage and care for the trees so that in turn, the trees will take care of us and our earth.
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